by Fern Shaw | Oct 26, 2012 | Health and Hydration
What makes water so special that we are told from a very young age to drink eight glasses a day? Is it really that important to keep hydrated and to drink enough water every single day?
The simple answer is yes, we do need to drink enough water each day. The reasons for this is that water makes up the biggest component of our entire body.
Water is the life source that keeps our bodies alive as it is essential to every function that our bodies need to perform. Our brains consist of over 80% water and even the slightest reduction of water in our bodies can cause the brain to start slowing down and to start struggling.
Tests have shown that a 2% decrease in body fluids or water can lead to a reduction of brain functionality. This intern leads to coordination and physical problems like fatigue and muscle cramping. It is for that reason that children need to drink more water each day than adults do. A 2% loss of fluids in children is a very small amount and the way most children run around and play it is very easy for them to get to that point of dehydration in no time at all.
Many schools are installing water coolers to ensure that their students and teachers have easy access to fresh, clean, cool and safe drinking water whenever they need it. A well hydrated child will be smarter, healthier and fitter than a child who is not getting enough water each day.
Teachers are encouraging children to keep water bottles with them at all times to ensure that they stay correctly hydrated and healthy.
Other great benefits of drinking enough water for children and adults alike are that it aids our bodies in flushing out unwanted toxins and chemicals stored in our bodies. This leads to better health, better skin and much more longevity.
by Fern Shaw | Oct 26, 2012 | Health and Hydration, Water Coolers
Most business owners are looking to increase their staff’s productivity, and companies will spend endless funding to ensure their staff’ will perform at their best.
The reality is that by ensuring their staff members are correctly hydrated, they could increase productivity in their business dramatically.
Tests have shown that even mildly dehydrated office workers have a decrease in physical and mental performance of up to 20%. That is a massive amount of additional business and revenue for a business by simply ensuring their staff drink sufficient water each day.
It is very easy for any company to keep their staff members correctly hydrated. With the wide range of water dispensers and water filters on offer, the perfect water solution is only a phone call away. Water dispensers are designed to suite all office types, large or smaller offices and they offer fresh, convenient, clean and performance enhancing water to everyone.
Companies can encourage their staff to have a glass of water each time they walk past a water cooler. This small addition to the office can have serious benefits to staff performance and their general health. Correctly hydrated staff members will have less health issues, leading to less time spent sick at home and increased profits for the business. Drinking sufficient water aids in weight loss as most people confuse the signs of thirst with the signs of hunger.
The financial benefits of correctly hydrated office members are dramatic. Imagine less sick days from staff members, better productivity, better physical health and increased profits for every company.
Tests have shown that drinking sufficient water each day can reduce certain cancers by between 40 -75%. The costs of assisting a staff member through cancer is not just a dramatic experience, it is also extremely expensive. Companies could dramatically reduce health risks like that by simply aiding their staff members to stay correctly hydrated.
by Fern Shaw | Oct 23, 2012 | Health and Hydration
By now we are all fully aware of the benefits of drinking water, but to some, the taste of water does not encourage us to drink our recommended daily amount of water. Here are our 8 tops tips to adding some spice to your water…
1) Herbal mint leaves. Try adding some herbal mint leaves to you glass of drinking water. Not only will this add a fresh cool taste to your water but it is also 100% calorie free.
2) Fresh Fruit. try your favorite fruit as an addition to your water. Citrus fruits like lemons, limes and oranges are most probably the most common, but be daring, try some crushed raspberries or watermelon. Even adding slices of strawberries can add flavor as well as looking great.
3) Juice Blends. Most fruit juice can be a very good base flavor to add to your water. But always remember the health objectives of drinking water. Opt for juices that are natural and have no added sugar. They are great tasting and contain the vitamins and antioxidants that can only benefit your body further.
4) Ice. Great way to get creative. Invest in some appealing ice trays like stars or fish, add some of the suggestions above and freeze. Try your favorite fruit chopped up, even herbs like mint will freeze well.
5) Cucumber. Left over cucumber is always readily available. Add it to your water for that extra refreshing sip.
6) Basil Leaves. Crushed basil leaves left to soak overnight in water will bring about a whole new taste sensation.
7) Rose Water. Just a few drops of rose water will add a touch of class to your water.
8) Freeze clementine slices. Forget ice cubes, try freezing slices of clementines. These will not only work as ice blocks but will add additional nutrition to your water.
by Fern Shaw | Oct 19, 2012 | Health and Hydration, Water Coolers
Have you ever stopped to consider what your child is drinking when you are not around? Bear in mind that the majority of a child’s day is spent at school in the care of others. Another fact to consider is that dehydration is serious for all of us, but no more so than to our children. When a child is dehydrated they have already lost 20% of their ability to perform both physically and mentally.
We at AquAid recognized the importance of drinking water at school and for these reasons have to date become one of the leading water cooler and drinking water suppliers to schools around the UK.
An experiment in ‘brain hydration’ carried out at an Edinburgh primary school showed that the introduction of water bottles on pupils’ desks led to a significant improvement in national test results over a 2 year period. Despite these important facts, two-thirds of children are still not getting enough drinking water, and a 5th of children drink no water at all, according to research conducted by the Department of Health and Food Standards Agency.
It is vital that from a young age a child is encourage to incorporate water into their drinking patterns and to prevent themselves from becoming thirsty and hence dehydrated. We not only encourage schools to invest in water coolers for the children, but we supply mini reusable bottles that a child can fill with water and leave on their desk, therefore encouraging them to sip water continually during the day. A direct result of this will be seen in the child’s academic performance and higher levels of concentration.
by Fern Shaw | Sep 18, 2012 | Health and Hydration
In the very unfortunate event that you find yourself stranded outdoors away from civilisation, you will surely need water far more quickly than you will food in order to survive. Luckily there are some fantastic methods you can apply in order to keep yourself hydrated with safe, clean water until you are rescued.
You should keep bottled water with you at all times no matter where you are, but once this runs out, you will need to replenish your supply, so hold on to the bottle!
The very best method of purifying contaminated water is to boil it vigorously for about one minute, and then let it cool down before drinking. If you find yourself in an area with a higher altitude, boil the water for about three minutes. This will kill most biological threats such as harmful bacteria.
Alternatively, you could make a rudimentary water filter by following these steps:
Step 1 Cut off the base of your empty water bottle so that it now has two openings.
Step 2 Roll your sock tightly and place it in the bottle (by the bottleneck) , place some burnt wood charcoal on top of the sock. The wood should be completely black; do not allow any of the white ash to get in the bottle.
Step 3 Roll your second sock tightly and place it firmly on top of the charcoal. Cover it with some non-salty sand found from a river or stream.
Step 4 Find a third piece of clean cotton material, perhaps a cut-off from your shirt, roll it tightly, and place it on top of the sand layer. Cover it with some green moss or grass, as this will aid in improving the odour and flavour of the water.
You can then pour the contaminated water through this water filter, and it should come out clear from the bottleneck end. If the water does not yet look clear in appearance, filter it through again and again until it looks clear enough to drink.
It is imperative that you do not ingest contaminated water before purifying it, as this could lead to severe bacterial infection and suffering. Just keep your wits about you!
by Fern Shaw | Sep 10, 2012 | Health and Hydration
We hear so often that water is the healthy option and we are convinced that water is good for you. But how do you go about making drinking water a daily habit?
Here are some basic tips, which may seem obvious, but if put into practise, drinking the correct amount a water per day will become a natural part of your daily routine.
- How much water?
This is a debatable question. The best way to go about this is to form a routine. Drink a glass when you wake up, a glass with each meal, a glass in between meals, and be sure to drink before, during and after exercise. The idea is to prevent yourself from actually getting thirsty. Once you find that you are thirsty, your body is already dehydrated.
- Carry a bottle
Having a bottle of water with you during the day is a very useful way to have continued sips of water. Keep a bottle on your desk at work or in your car. Keep re filling it and within sight.
- Set a reminder
Set your watch to beep at the top of each hour, or set a periodic computer reminder, so that you don’t forget to drink water.
- Substitute water
If you would normally get a soda, or a cup of tea or coffee, get a glass of water instead.
- Water Cooler
Instead of spending a fortune on bottled water, invest in a water cooler for your workplace or home. This is a great way to keep chilled filtered water at hand as well as keeping costs down.
- Exercise
If you’re going to exercise, be sure to drink water a couple hours ahead of time, so that it will get through your system in time, and again, drink during and after exercise as well.
- Track it
It often helps, when forming a new habit, to keep track of it — it increases awareness and helps you ensure that you’re staying on track. Keep a little log which can be as simple as a tick mark for each glass of water you drink.
